The midseason All-Rookie team of The Athletic has two Seahawks players

The NFL’s 2023 season officially reached its halfway point between Weeks 9 and 10, and by halfway I mean that 16 teams had played eight games and 16 teams had played nine.

With 172 regular season games remaining, it makes 172 regular season games completed.

The second half of the season began with a game between two teams that had combined for fourteen losses over the first nine weeks, which was quite appropriate (in a tongue-in-cheek sort of manner).

Fortunately, that isn’t what we’re here to discuss; instead, we want to speak about The Athletic’s publication earlier this week of the NFL Midseason All-Rookie Team.

OFFENSE

• Quarterback: C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans)
• Running back: Bijan Robinson (Atlanta Falcons), Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions), De’Von Achane (Miami Dolphins)
• Wide receiver: Puka Nacua (Los Angeles Rams), Zay Flowers (Baltimore Ravens), Jordan Addison (Minnesota Vikings), Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts
• Tight end: Sam LaPorta (Detroit Lions)
• O-line: O’Cyrus Torrence (Buffalo Bills), Darnell Wright (Chicago Bears), Dawand Jones (Cleveland Browns), Jarrett Patterson (Houston Texans), Anthony Bradford (Seattle Seahawks)

DEFENSE

• Edge: Will Anderson Jr. (Houston Texans), Byron Young (Los Angeles Rams), Tuli Tuipulotu (Los Angeles Chargers)
• D-line: Jalen Carter (Philadelphia Eagles), Keeanu Benton (Pittsburgh Steelers), Bryan Bresee (New Orleans Saints)
• Linebacker: Ivan Pace Jr. (Minnesota Vikings), Henry To’oTo’o (Houston Texans)
• Cornerback: Joey Porter Jr. (Pittsburgh Steelers), Devon Witherspoon (Seattle Seahawks), Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (Washington Commanders)
• Nickel / Safety: Brian Branch (Detroit Lions), Christian Izien (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Returner: Marvin Mims Jr. (Denver Broncos)
• Kicker: Brandon Aubrey (Dallas Cowboys)
• Punter: Bryce Baringer (New England Patriots), Ethan Evans (Los Angeles Rams)

The write-ups

Here’s what The Athletic said about the two Seahawks that made their Midseason All-Rookie Team:

Anthony Bradford:

A new arrival on our list at the halfway point is Bradford, who didn’t debut until Week 3. The fourth-round pick from LSU has flashed an outstanding blend of power and athletic balance at guard, both in pass pro and the run game. We’ll see if he can stay healthy.

Devon Witherspoon:

Since his up-and-down NFL debut in Week 2, Witherspoon has not allowed a touchdown or catch of 25-plus yards over his past six games. He ranks second among rookies in pass breakups (six) and has been one of the better run-defending corners in the league.

FTR’s Take

Between ‘Spoon’s coming out party on Monday Night Football (versus the New York Giants), the viral hit on Rondale Moore, and his current standing as the No. 2 favorite for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, Witherspoon’s inclusion The Athletic’s Midseason All-Rookie Team was expected.

Anthony Bradford though . . . I wasn’t sure anyone outside South Alaska was paying attention to him – especially since he’s only appeared in 5 of Seattle’s 8 games.

Honorable Mentions

In addition to the players that made the Midseason All-Rookie Team, there were also a number of “Honorable Mentions” at each position.

And four of the players who earned Honorable Mentions were Seahawks.

OFFENSE:

• RB Zach Charbonnet
• WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
• WR Jake Bobo

DEFENSE:

• Derick Hall

Will any of Seattle’s Honorable Mentions rise up over the final nine weeks of the season? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it’s nice to see the well-deserved recognition.

Team Breakdown

For those who are curious, The Athletic’s Midseason All-Rookie Team has 31 members.

Here’s the breakdown, by team:

• 4 players from the Texans
• 3 players from the Lions and the Rams
• 2 players from the Seahawks (Go Hawks!), Steelers, and Vikings
• 1 player from the Bears, Bills, Broncos, Browns, Buccaneers, Chargers, Colts, Commanders, Cowboys, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, Patriots, Ravens, and Saints
• 0 players from the 49ers, Bengals, Cardinals, Chiefs, Jaguars, Giants, Jets, Packers, Panthers, Raiders, and Titans